J BOX

Had the teriyaki chicken bowl with brown rice (brown rice was .50 extra) and it was delicious. The chicken wasn’t covered in teriyaki sauce so it felt like a pretty healthy lunch choice. The bowl also had green salad and an egg roll. Cost was about $ 10 for the chicken bowl and a fountain drink.
Lots of seats in the outdoor food court next to a nice fountain. It looked like it filled up though after 12:00 (we arrived around 11:30 and had our choice of tables).

My go to sushi place on the weekdays. The portion is big and very tasty :) The staff (Maria) is also very nice and friendly. My favorites are the tempura roll and spicy tuna roll. I’ve also heard good things about their ramen bowl from my coworker. They don’t open on the weekends though.

One of my go to lunch spots in Carlsbad!
$ 7.95 Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
$ 8.95 Bulgogi Beef Bowl … these both come with a freshly fried egg roll and green salad. Choice of white or brown rice ($ 1 extra).
I also tried their curry bowl (no egg roll or salad).
Plenty of outdoor seating by a beautiful fountain. I’ll definitely be back.

Not a lot of options. But the perfect sushi fix. Philly roll, tiger roll, and the one with coconut shrimp? Gyoza. So good and fresh. Perfect to go. I love the girls at the register– always sweet, welcoming and helpful. My sushi fix when I don’t want to sit down.

This place is always delicious! I love that it’s a healthy alternative. The girl that works there is always really nice. My favorite is the #7 spicy tuna poke that comes with a salad and California roll. I highly recommend J Box.

I’d probably give this place 3.5 stars.
I’ve had this bookmarked to try out, but never really got around to it because of the distance. I was already in the area and decided to stop by because the coffee shop I was looking for had closed early. They are located in a food court/​strip mall type area, with a large pond/​fountain just off of Faraday Ave. There is no seating at any of the shops, except for maybe a bench to sit on while you wait for your food. I ordered the Bulgogi bento box, and boy was it expensive!
The bento box came with several items: 2 shrimp tempura (nice, crispy, not fishy tasting, but the dip tasted like it should have been with gyoza instead of tempura), a vegetable eggroll, salad (the vegetables tasted fresh, but there was little dressing on it), your choice of either a 4 piece california roll or spicy tuna (spicy tuna roll was good, but seemed hastily made and some didn’t hold together very well), and the beef bulgogi. The bulgogi is similar to the beef in a Japanese beef bowl, but with Korean flavors. It tasted pretty good, but was a bit on the dry side. I’ve had it several times in South Korea, and it was usually served pretty wet with sauce.
The customer service was all business, a welcome from the cashier and that was it. No small talk, no smiling faces, just a give me your money/here’s your food, now leave kind of vibe. You’re on your own for utensils, they don’t put anything but the food in the bag. They are near the soda machine, chopsticks, forks, low sodium soy sauce, etc. There is little containers of hot sauce near the register, I think it was sriracha, but would have preferred the Korean gochujang to go with the bulgogi.
Overall the food was pretty good, but very overpriced for what I ordered. I’d probably try one of the daily specials on a second visit, but that too seemed expensive.

Ordered their Ramen Soup with pork for lunch, and walked it back to the office. It was nice and hot, the pork was delicious, wished there was more of it. Great noodle soup for a rainy day.

I like the number 8: smoked salmon and avocado salad. My only complain is salmon quantity is less, I would hope to get more salmon.
Like the Philadelphia roll as well but again salmon qty is less and more of cream cheese.

I rarely write reviews unless I have something significant to say. Welp, here it is: I frequent this place at least 3 – 4 times a week. Yeah, that obsessed and I think that explains it all. This is a great lunch place (their sushi comes with a little side salad that’s perfect!) especially if you work in the area. The woman at the register is also the sweetest and after going there almost everyday, she remembers you and always wishes you well.
It’s just freaking delicious.

Overall the place is decent.
Ordered the spicy tuna roll with salad. Plenty of food, but tuna was bland. Couldn’t really tell it was spicy, and texture was all soft, no snap. Also the serving temperature was warm on the sushi, salad.
I’m wondering if the rolls are pre made in a factory, and just served, sort of like what you would get at a grocery store. I think their other items may be much better. I’ll try them next time.

This place is yum. Not a huge selection on the menu, but honestly it’s kind of better and works that way for this little joint. No tables on the inside, it’s more like a pick your food up place in a food court that is usually only open during lunch. It’sainly geared towards business workers that are around the area for their lunch break.
I’ve tried their beef bulgogi bowl, and ssam roll. Both equally delicious, and the ssam is a bit more spicy than you’d normally anticipate it but I still like it.
Maybe I came during training season, but the people who took my order weren’t mean but they weren’t exactly welcoming as much either. Was bummed that they didn’t put utensils or napkins in my to go order, and next time I learned that you have to do it yourself. Makes to sense since to go is supposed to be picked up and paid for and that’s all. They should fix that.
I love the fact that the owners are authentically Japanese, so they definitely know their foods. It just makes it that much better and more delicious.
But overall taste is 4 stars, they could just work on customer service. I get it though, everyone has their off day and this is coming from my own food service work experience.

I had always wanted to try this place and always ended up eating at other places. I was determined to try J Box and wasn’t disappointed. I got the chicken katsu curry which was posted as the lunch special on the front door. While it took a little while to get the food, it was well worth the wait. The chicken was nicely breaded and fried and sat in a yummy layer of curry all of which sat on some rice. There was also some pickled radish on top which was a nice touch. Flavor was excellent and the meal was satisfying and good value. I will definitely be headed back.

I only have a 30 minute lunch break, so I like calling ahead and placing my order over the phone so when I get there, my food will be ready to go. Well, today, the day I decide to try J BOX for the first time, their phone was accidentally off the hook for the first 30 min after they opened! But I still took a chance, risking me running over my lunch break, and was the first customer of the day it looked like, score! Food came out decently fast, and I made it back to the office within 30 min.
Located across from Thermo Fischer, in the food court area. Plenty of parking!
I ordered:
— Poke tuna over a spicy tuna roll (comes with a side salad)
— SAMM (bulgogi on top of rice and sauce, wrapped in seaweed)
— $ 15.00
Ok, so a bit pricey for lunch on a weekday. But the sushi was delicious! Pretty spicy I thought! I’ll come back here on paycheck days haha.

Food taste/​flavor– ok, customer service– not too bad, serving size– smaller than others, price– on the high side. If you work at the area and wanted a quick Japanese food fix, go here. But if you have time, go somewhere else.

I came across this place on Unilocal while I was looking for a place that sold Ahi Poke close to my work. After seeing this place pop up in my search results, I decided to drop by this place for lunch right away.
When I arrived, I ended up leaving with something different than I originally wanted. As soon as I saw that they had bulgogi, I ended up buying a bulgogi bento with a spicy tuna roll because it sounded pretty awesome. While I didn’t buy what I originally intended, I’m completely satisfied with my purchase. The bulgogi tasted very good and the white rice was cooked to my liking. Since then, I’ve dropped by and tried a few different items on the menu and all of them were well portioned and tasted delicious. I’ll definitely keep this place in my lunch rotation.
Oh and for the fellow workers who are on a tight lunch schedule, allow for up to 7 – 10 minutes of waiting time after placing your order between 11:30 am-1:30 pm.

So far a great go-​to lunch spot when I forget to bring lunch (intentional or accidental).
Jbox is super convenient if you work in the Carlsbad Research Center area — if not, it is definitely a trek to get to (albeit an easy one). Hours are tailored to a normal work week (M-​F 10 – 4) so if you aren’t near the area, you’ll need to actually plan to try this place.
My favorites: Spicy Tuna Poke & J Bento Teriyaki Chicken
Not-​so-​good: Ramen
Now more in detail.
No. 7 Spicy Tuna Poke (comes with 8pc California roll or Spicy tuna roll)
Delicious — In my opinion, the serving is just right. I would still be hungry if I didn’t eat breakfast. With this dish you won’t have leftovers. It’s one of those dishes that will make you want more if you go into it very hungry. Overall, I was pleased with the quality of the tuna — it wasn’t fishy, it was somewhat light and refreshing paired with a basic salad. You have a choice between a California roll or Spicy Tuna roll. In my opinion, Spicy tuna is better than California.
J Bento Teriyaki Chicken (comes with rice, 4pc California Roll or spicy tuna roll, 2 shrimp tempuras, 1 veggie roll, house salad, and a bottle of water)
Yum! I was satisfied after eating this. Again, chose spicy tuna over California. The shrimp tempuras were cooked well to my liking: crunchy, flavorful, and the batter was good. I would choose this dish over spicy tuna poke if I was starving.
J Special Ramen (Pork or chicken)
Personally I didn’t like this too much. The pork meat was good, but the noodles were bland to me. The broth was so-​so (not too salty at least, also not flavorful). If you’ve never had ramen before, it is definitely a step up from instant noodles. If you have had awesome ramen — avoid this. As of late, I haven’t seen this option — maybe it wasn’t a good seller.
Overall great place to grab lunch.

Location: Carlsbad
Went here for lunch with my coworker since i was in the Oceanside area. She told me about this location because it was shared with other lunch type places. Located near a business district so I’m not too sure on how their business hours run. Im assuming they close early on a regular basis or on the weekends.
I was skeptically to try this place because it was called J Box. Haha. Reminded me of Jack in the Box and I’m usually like «Nah I’ll pass.» But like they say, «Cant knock it if you haven’t tried it.» So i decided to proceed with my sushi needs. Its definitely in a business setting because its a small shop with lots of tables to sit at outside that circles this fountain. No where to eat inside, basically just room to wait for order or stand in line.
I ordered the Ahi Poke Combo. Pretty good. Its basically a bento box which consisted of Ahi Poke on top of a California roll, mixed in with side salad. Pretty delicious, yet pricey. Worth the drive.
Would I drive here ever again? Maybe if i was in the area for work.

Wow, I should have come here sooner for lunch. This place is AMAZING – the food is fresh, tasty, and affordable. I’ve come in here a few times already and each time the service was fast and friendly. Each time, the food has been so delicious. J BOX is one of the few reasons I will «accidentally» forget my packed lunch at home so that I can come here instead.
It took me awhile to start eating fresh/​raw fish and it seemed like whenever I became brave enough to give it another try, I would end up at a restaurant that prepared raw fish horribly. But not this place. This place makes me want to keep coming back and to keep stuffing my face with raw fish. Take it from a person who used to think raw fish was gross. I am a changed person.
One of my favorite dishes is the No. 10 Seared Albacore Salad. It comes with a garlic ponzu dressing and a cute little rice ball. It hit the spot. Everything about this dish is amazing. I’ve also had the J Bento which I shared since it’s pretty big. The bulgogi beef was full of flavor, the sushi fresh, and the tempura crunchy. It was all so satisfying.
I just wish that J BOX was open past 4pm and open on the weekends. Oh well, gotta try this store while it’s open. It’s located in a business area food court right next to a sunny outdoor patio.

Not sure what the hype is about. I am guessing the high ratings are from people that work in the area and are relegated to the food court for variable options.
I had the #7, spicy tuna poke and choice of a Cali or spicy tuna roll. It came with a small salad of romaine ribs mostly (see pic).
With a soda it came to about $ 14 for about 8 pieces of poke (mostly spices and sesame seeds), a weak roll (think small step up from grocery store quality), and a soda.
I won’t be back unless I get a job across the street and had to eat nearby.

what is it about a bowl of noodles and steaming broth that just feels like a warm hug ??
there are lots of «dining» options at the food court (pizza, gyros, tacos, sandwiches and whatever they dish-​up at RICE KING) but, after browsing thru the Unilocal reviews, settled on J BOX.
the guy at the counter was extra friendly and very helpful.
i ordered the ramen (spicy after i added a couple shots of sriracha), a miso-​pork soup with roasted pork, fish cakes, scallions, semi-​hard boiled egg, nori, a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a big pile of noodles — a delicious way to slurp your way thru lunch. best eaten with chopsticks and lots and lots of wet, sucking noises.
also had a SSAM roll (again, spicy after adding a shot of sriracha), a nori wrapped mini burrito with rice, daikon sprouts and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
J BOX is a great light and healthy lunch alternative.